I was on a professional supervision call yesterday with a Kids Life Coach, when I had an AHA moment.

It hit me: nothing beats real, on-the-ground experience with methods that actually work and produce measurable results.

When I started my coaching practice over two decades ago, I was overflowing with passion just like I am today (in fact, my passion has become more determined!) The difference then was, I didn’t have a tried-and-tested system. I stumbled through trial and error, figuring things out as I went along. In hindsight, that wasn’t fair to the children I was coaching. I had good intentions, and I eventually got results, but they weren’t measurable the way they are now. I was relying on instinct, skill, and determination. 

CLICK to hear my story of the biggest mistake I made in my coaching practice and how one child showed me the way!

I speak to so many passionate people like me who are full of heart, but I know that without the proper education, guidance, and structured ap...

Play Saves Lives: A Personal Call on World Suicide Prevention Day

Behind every statistic on youth suicide is a child who needed hope, connection, and support. This is not abstract for me. I have lost two family members to suicide, and a friend in primary school. I know the pain, the questions, and the guilt that can follow and I also know that prevention begins long before a crisis.

As professionals working with children, we have the power to make a difference. Research in neuroscience and behaviour shows that when children develop resilience pathways in the brain, they are better equipped to cope with stress, recover from setbacks, and reach out for help when needed. One of the most powerful ways to build these pathways?

Play.

Play is not just a fun thing we do with the children we coach. It’s how children process the world, understand themselves, and form connections with others. Through play, they practice coping skills, build confidence, and discover that the world can be a ...

Traditionally, my Monday blogs have been long. Full of stories, tips, and reflections, but lately I’ve realised something: I want to save time. I don’t want to read waffle…so why should you? Let's stop wasting time so we have more time to coach children and do what we love to do and be exceptional at it!

I’m an author and from now on, I will be saving the long-form reflections for my upcoming books. Moving forward, my blogs will be short, punchy, and full of heart. Written to inspire you, build your skills and energise your work with children.

Here’s what you can expect:

• Bite-sized, playful ideas to spark your sessions (more videos less words)

• Quick reflections to reconnect with your purpose (tips, checklists and planners)

• Tools and inspiration to plan (administrative shortcuts & templates)

• Invitations to transformational experiences, like my Children’s Change Makers Retreat

Short, simple, heart-led blogs to fuel your week. 

It’s time.

Time to pause.
Time to...

 As Play Based Coaches, we pour our hearts into our work. We plan intentional sessions, hold space for emotions, guide developmental growth, and build bridges between children and their families. Our job demands empathy, energy, creativity, and knowledge, but here’s the truth that too many coaches learn the hard way:

 “Working on your job keeps things running. Working on yourself keeps you growing.”

Mindset matters more than your coaching curriculum. You can have the best tools in your coaching toolbox, sensory toys, story-based interventions, parent workshops, but if your mindset isn't healthy, grounded, and growing, you’ll hit a ceiling.

Your mindset determines:

•  How you respond when a parent is defensive
•  Whether you view a child’s regression as a “problem” or a “message”
•  How you carry feedback (or criticism)
•  What you do when your own energy dips

You can’t model resilience, regulation, or growth for families unless you’re actively practicing it yourself by focusing on ...

Show Up. Step Aside. Support Greatness.

As Play Based Coaches, our role isn’t to fix, force, or lead from the front. It’s to show up, stay present, and sometimes, most powerfully, to step out of the way. Children already carry the seeds of confidence, creativity, and resilience within them. Our job is to create the conditions where those seeds can grow.

Here are a few simple, powerful reminders to help you support children to show up as their best selves while making sure you don’t block the light they need to thrive.

1. Show Up Fully (Even When It’s Hard)

Leave your stress, ego, or need for control at the door. Be present but okay not being perfect. Kids don’t need your polished performances; they need real people who see them, hear them, and meet them where they are. This is why our Play Based Coaching System® works! It allows us to be present in a way that children understand! We speak their language of play. 

🟡 Tip: Before every session, pause and ask: “Am I here for my coac...

Play. Presence. Purpose.The Heartbeat of Our Movement

When I started this journey in 2003, I felt I needed to define myself by my titles and achievements because I wasn’t a biological mom. I chose to reframe this and now I see myself as a secret parent, nurturing, guiding, and fiercely committed to the growth of every child I meet.

When I look back at my time as an early career special needs teacher, I was convinced that life skills like teamwork, communication, or time management were the key to helping kids succeed. I thought if we taught these skills well enough, everything else would fall into place. Over time, through my experience and research, I’ve learned it’s so much more than that.

It’s about connection. For example, I’ve seen a shy 8 year old child bloom not because they were told how to speak up, but because I took the time to listen deeply and create a safe space that was grounded in neuroscience to build their confidence to speak up. That connection built their confide...

 Since 2003, I’ve used play as the heart of my work with children but I have always called myself a Kids Life Coach. Over time, as I trained thousands of professionals around the world to use my Play Based Coaching System®, I realised that my work goes beyond children alone. As a global network, we support families, educators, and communities.

At Kids Life Studio®,  what we’ve always done is deeper than a title. Our Play Based Coaching System® is science-backed, ethically grounded, and rooted in empathy. Now, in a world that’s always changing, it’s time to be intentional with our language. Not because our work has changed but because it’s time to call it what it truly is:  We are Play Based Coaches and we play for a living! Something I have always said and still subscribe too!

This August, as our global network of Kids Life Studio® Coaches continue to pioneer the play based coaching movement, I want to honour three important days and give you some robust, easy-to-implement ideas to c...

For over two decades, I have been driven by a powerful vision to rebrand childhood®. To transform how we understand, support, and empower children in a world that often misunderstands their potential. My journey into kids life coaching wasn’t accidental. It was born from a deeply personal place. I couldn’t have children of my own, so I became the “secret parent” to countless children whose lives I have been privileged to touch. This unique role has fuelled my passion to nurture, guide, and empower children as if they are my own.

With a Masters Degree in Clinical Child Psychology, I have seen how damaging labels, diagnoses, and limitations can be. I believe in the power of celebrating each child's unique gifts and possibilities. As a former special needs teacher and school counsellor, I have seen first hand what happens when childhood is defined by what children can’t do rather than their strengths.  Early in my work, I met children labeled with ADHD and other challenges, many of whom ...

When we think about “winning,” our minds often jump to trophies, medals, or big achievements. But in the world of kids life coaching, winning looks very different. It’s not about being first or perfect, it’s about growth, confidence, and feeling empowered to lead one’s own life.

Here’s the truth: the secret to winning isn’t some complex formula. It’s actually easier than you might think. It starts with small, consistent actions both from us as coaches and from the children we guide.

Here are 10 tips for coaching children towards their own winning:

1. Celebrate Every Step Forward
No win is too small. Celebrate each effort and progress, so children feel encouraged and motivated to keep going. It's not only about the win, but about the progress whilst reaching that win. 

2. Encourage a Growth Mindset
Help kids understand that abilities can improve with practice. Remind them that challenges are opportunities to learn and grow. Mindset is everything! 

3. Normalise Mistakes
Create a space ...

Growing up in South Africa, the name Nelson Mandela is more than history, it’s a living legacy. Mandela wasn’t just a leader; he was a beacon of hope, resilience, and unity during a time when division threatened to tear a nation apart. His belief in *Ubuntu* a philosophy that roughly translates to “I am because we are”has deeply shaped how I approach coaching children today.

Now living in England, I carry that spirit with me every day through my work at Kids Life Studio®. Ubuntu isn’t just a word; it’s a way of being that reminds us all of our interconnectedness, our shared humanity, and the power of community.

When we coach children, especially in today’s fast-paced and often fragmented world, embedding Ubuntu into our practice is essential. Children are not victims of their present circumstances; they are victors of their future. They have the strength, resilience, and potential to lead their own lives if we provide them with the right tools and environment.

Ubuntu teaches us that...